The sixty-second day after leaving the Orange Islands, light rain.
The second day after arriving in Pallet Town...
Pallet Town's morning was shrouded in a thin veil of rainy mist. A light drizzle pattered against the rooftops, streets, and treetops, making a soft rustling sound.
Leaning on his cane, Yu Hai stood quietly before the window. His gaze passed through the foggy glass toward the rainy scene outside. Raindrops slowly slid down the pane, but there was still no sign of Ai and the others.
After asking around all night, he had finally learned the full details of how Ai and the others had vanished. It was not just Ai—Xiao Mai and Xiao Yu had disappeared with her. The three little girls had vanished together, and Ash, who was always brimming with passion and drive, had also mysteriously gone missing.
That night, all of Pallet Town had erupted into an uproar. Once the townspeople heard that Ash had disappeared, everyone sprang into action, combing through Pallet Town in a massive search for the four children.
They left no corner unchecked. They followed the streets, passed through the alleys, and steadily expanded the search toward the rolling mountains beyond the town. Every inch of land was carefully searched.
Yet they still found no trace of the four children. It was as though they had vanished into thin air. No one knew where they had gone, and everyone was deeply worried.
Still, Yu Hai was not entirely without leads. Regarding the disappearance of the four children, he had specifically sought out Ai's Mother the previous night and carefully questioned her, hoping to learn more clues from her.
He had asked Ai's Mother whether Ai had said anything unusual or done anything out of the ordinary before she disappeared.
After thinking back, Ai's